It seemed to be nailed down that Eddie Nketiah would move to South London and join Crystal Palace after Patrick Vieira showed serious interest.
The two clubs had negotiated a deal that resulted in the Eagles putting in an offer of £ 8m, but it was turned down as the Gunners valued him at around £ 12m.
With the two clubs unable to reach an agreement, Crystal Palace turned their attention to Odsonne Edouard and is close to finalizing his signing for around £ 15million.
That puts salt in the Arsenal wounds, because if the transfer business of the North London club for the departures was carried out correctly, then Odsonne Edouard could have been an option as a substitute striker for the Gunners.
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Nketiah has less than 12 months left and The Athletic previously reported that despite the Englishman’s contract expiring next summer, Arsenal have not yet reached an agreement on a new deal, which shows the player’s intention to move on.
The 22-year-old came through Arsenal’s Hale End Academy and has played 38 first-team games, scoring five goals in the process.
It has been clear since the end of last season that the Gunners will discharge the youngster, making it even more inexplicable that Arsenal only received an offer so shortly before the deadline.
When you consider that Nketiah captained his country in the U21s and is the top scorer at 16 – that shows once again the failure of Arsenal with spending in this market.
Nketiah is expected to stay with Arsenal despite Crystal Palace’s interest
(Image: Chloe Knott – Danehouse / Getty Images)
The situation surrounding Alexandre Lacazette’s future only exacerbates the problem. He is another striker who only has a one-year contract and is now expected to go on a free transfer next summer.
What makes matters worse is that the Gunners signed him for £ 50million in 2017, so the club will cut huge losses without receiving a fee.
The two away players remaining at the club blocked the move for new ideas regarding forward position.
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Edouard would have been a breath of fresh air in the club and the perfect reinforcement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The 23-year-old has scored 57 league goals in 78 games for Celtic and, like Nketiah, holds the record for the most U21 goals for his country.
Odsonne Edouard is about to move to the Crystal Palace
(Image: Jeff Holmes / PA Wire)
The Frenchman also has Champions League experience which adds to his excellent goal record, so it would have been a wise signing for Mikel Arteta’s side considering the price he was available for.
Instead, Arsenal are now facing two strikers who will be on a free transfer next summer, in breach of the squad overhaul promised by Arteta.
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